thank you for the updates, Vikki.
thank you for the updates, Vikki.
Hi everyone!!!
The latest updates 
The meds handed over to Sergey - he's VERY thankful for this help 
So now we're here
There's something else, but let's wait for Bill 
I'm back!!!!!
Vikki, you are amazing! Thank you for carrying all of this!!! I was running around like crazy on that work trip. I did get in a couple posts from my phone in scraps of free time, but absolutely could not give this thread the attention it needed.
Let me post the Monday update real quick
Ok, we're about half way to our kisgorbo goal and I have this month's Classic Motorsports magazine sitting right in front of me. Both will be sent off on the 1st (I know I keep forgetting to mention it, but I have 100% been sending Mayor Kozma's Classic Motorsports subscription as promised in the beginning)
Mothers and Babies fund: VIKKI has been absolutely ROCKING it! I can not believe how much you've been able to do with what we sent you. You must be an absolute expert at your profession!!!
GoFundMe: Oof. Not a lot going on over there. We're up to $750 and I'm going to put more of my attention in that department going forward. I didn't want to push too hard in the beginning as I knew this work trip was coming. I thought pushing hard and then going stagnant would be worse than letting it simmer early and pushing around the first of July (when I could give it my full attention). Hopefully I made the right decision there.
Baby Clothes (ETC): Girthquake! Your boxes have arrived!!! The freight forwarder reports that they are HUGE and very heavy! I'll pick them up tomorrow and will immediately start coordinating with Ira to get her box to Budapest. Thank you!!!
Hospitallers: My brother (did I disclose that he's the guy on the Yeti forum who will act as the freight forwarder for that fundraiser? ah well....) reports that the first package has arrived. No word yet as to the contents, but I'm thinking it's decompression needles based off of the reported sender. That's another forum I'll be pushing pressure on now that my work trip is done.
Stufie Delivery: That's the second of Girthquake's boxes. I can't wait to take inventory and update the chart accordingly.
In other news, I've checked the local donation boxes and found another $30, this brings our total local collection to just under $100.
and then some bad news. I really couldn't find any outlets to pitch our fundraiser while in the UK. I did see plenty of support though. Flags flown on residential buildings. One local sandwich shop had a beer garden and was sending the proceeds for every "Kyiv Mule" ordered to a Ukrainian charity (guess what I drank!). And one local organization had Ukrainian hearts in their window. While I didn't feel comfortable dropping stickers in the mail slots of residential buildings, I thought the organization with hearts wasn't off limits. On one of my lunch breaks I hand wrote a note thanking them for their support of Ukraine and slid a few stickers under their door.
Even if they don't join us in what we're doing, hopefully they appreciate that there's people out here also doing good things.
Ok. Now I really cant wait to see what Vikki has for us 
Baby clothes mostly boxed. I ran out of tape. I should be finished tonight and shipping on Friday. Does that work with scheduling?
matthewmcl said:Baby clothes mostly boxed. I ran out of tape. I should be finished tonight and shipping on Friday. Does that work with scheduling?
Absolutely does!
We're not running until August, so we've got plenty of time to organize stateside and get it here before the truck departs. Let me know if you need anything at all, and I'll send it your way.
You are amazing Vikki! Thank you so much! These are all getting framed for my office!
Mostly 0-9 months, boys and girls. Some 12 months, also blankets, bibs, and burp cloths.
My wife and I foster, and we got the go ahead to raid one of the shared locations. Selection was simple, 0-9 and we took half. All washed, likely double washed, no fragrance or dyes in the soap, just in case. The clothes are not new, but babies don't seem to care. We tossed anything that had stains or tears.
We took all of the tiny shoes and added some stuffies. Some of those stuffies we have had a while, waiting for kids for them. Some are new. Everything here got washed, too.
No socks! Why no socks?! I don't know! They had two pairs of socks and we took them. Perhaps someone could amazon socks to Hungary Bill?
All boxed up. Label inside the box and sometimes more labels for layers. I tried my best with google translate. Hopefully my efforts are at least good for a laugh. By the way, I suck at writing a typed "a."
GRM NYG says one roll of tape does two or three boxes.
Lessons learned:
1. www.pirateship.com good for 25% on these
2. Stay under 2 cubic feet. There is a $25 upcharge for hitting 2 cubic feet with a box. Sending 50 pounds in a 2 cubic foot box is is more than twice sending one cubic foot with 25 pounds.
3. 25 pounds seems to be noticeable more than less than 25 pounds. Each of these is under 20.
I tried using vacuum closet storage bags, but they leak a little and I did not want a box popping en route. I would have had to pay for bags, but it would have cut out two boxes. Paying for the weight either way, and paying for bags, would have made for pretty much even.
Dropping these off at the post office on Friday. Hopefully sending them all at once is more useful for getting them across the ocean.
Final note: should somebody do teething rings?
Hey, Bill - i'm glad that you're back home and i'm glad to see you here
as you noticed - helping people didn't stop
I'm glad that we found this way to help all these people between the runs - it's really VERY important and they need it - they feel our support and they're always thankful!!!
When i get feedback messages from them - it very often makes me cry and i know that we're definitely on the right way!!! ABSOLUTELY FOR SURE!!!
Thank you everyone who made this possible!!!
In reply to 84FSP :
Wooo-hoo!!! Thank you Dave!!!
So glad that your prize got to you this is my "small thank" to you
BTW what is written on the stamps - ПТН ПНХ - means - "Putin go f*** yourself"
In reply to matthewmcl :
Ohhh, wooowww!!! That's absolutely wonderful!!! Incredibly GREAT work you did!!!! Thank you!!!
Bill, i'm already getting worried a bit if two cars are enough for the run ha-ha, i'm kidding
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
Now I really cant wait to see what Vikki has for us
Vikki has already received and is ready to present to you the raffle prizes for this run
1. a sheet of stamps(of course ), a postcard and an envelope "Children of Victory draw the Ukraine of the Future"
2. Velcro chevrons The big one has "volunteer" written on it
matthewmcl said:
Mostly 0-9 months, boys and girls. Some 12 months, also blankets, bibs, and burp cloths.
My wife and I foster, and we got the go ahead to raid one of the shared locations. Selection was simple, 0-9 and we took half. All washed, likely double washed, no fragrance or dyes in the soap, just in case. The clothes are not new, but babies don't seem to care. We tossed anything that had stains or tears.
We took all of the tiny shoes and added some stuffies. Some of those stuffies we have had a while, waiting for kids for them. Some are new. Everything here got washed, too.
No socks! Why no socks?! I don't know! They had two pairs of socks and we took them. Perhaps someone could amazon socks to Hungary Bill?
All boxed up. Label inside the box and sometimes more labels for layers. I tried my best with google translate. Hopefully my efforts are at least good for a laugh. By the way, I suck at writing a typed "a."
GRM NYG says one roll of tape does two or three boxes.
Lessons learned:
1. www.pirateship.com good for 25% on these
2. Stay under 2 cubic feet. There is a $25 upcharge for hitting 2 cubic feet with a box. Sending 50 pounds in a 2 cubic foot box is is more than twice sending one cubic foot with 25 pounds.
3. 25 pounds seems to be noticeable more than less than 25 pounds. Each of these is under 20.
I tried using vacuum closet storage bags, but they leak a little and I did not want a box popping en route. I would have had to pay for bags, but it would have cut out two boxes. Paying for the weight either way, and paying for bags, would have made for pretty much even.
Dropping these off at the post office on Friday. Hopefully sending them all at once is more useful for getting them across the ocean.
Final note: should somebody do teething rings?
Hoe-Lee-Crap! 
That is an INSANE amount of clothes!!! Vikki's right. the roof is coming off the truck...
My god, you guys. This is AWESOME!!!
No really. I cant tell you how many nights I couldn't sleep on that work trip because I couldn't do anything to move this along and the GFM was absolutely stuck for the entire duration... Picking up Girthquakes boxes today and then seeing this... This is AWESOME!
ok. To answer your questions. heck yeah! (new) teething rings and socks would be awesome! I could even buy some locally. Just send me a note and we'll figure something out!
VikkiDp said:In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
Now I really cant wait to see what Vikki has for us
Vikki has already received and is ready to present to you the raffle prizes for this run
1. a sheet of stamps(of course
2. Velcro chevrons
Vikki, those are incredibly cool
Regarding the raffle. I'm thinking we're going to keep it GRM only for these this time. I was wrong about TiltedDriveway (the host from the other forum), he's a professor and I don't think his workload is ever going to decrease. Plus he hasn't mentioned anything about hosting a raffle this time, so I'll just a) not say anything or b) offer to keep it yeti only if he purchases prizes.
To add in to what Vikki has, I generally am able to pick up a bottle of commemorative vodka when I'm in country. Or I should say "the last two trips, I've been able to find...". I'll be hoping to do so on this one as well. If I do, I'll add that to our list of prizes!
good times
Ok - so my Europe trip is now back to scheduled for arrival in Paris 8/27. I see a list of baby items but guessing those are easily bought in Europe and I'd be better of sending paypal. Anything specific that is harder to acquire there that I can pickup and mule over?
84FSP said:Ok - so my Europe trip is now back to scheduled for arrival in Paris 8/27. I see a list of baby items but guessing those are easily bought in Europe and I'd be better of sending paypal. Anything specific that is harder to acquire there that I can pickup and mule over?
I think clothes and baby blankets are good bang for the buck. baby formula and diapers tend to take up a lot of room and I know I can purchase both locally (not sure about availability on Vikki's market). 8/27 will be too late to catch this run, but I can still (and will) haul them on the Christmas run
84FSP said:Ok - so my Europe trip is now back to scheduled for arrival in Paris 8/27. I see a list of baby items but guessing those are easily bought in Europe and I'd be better of sending paypal. Anything specific that is harder to acquire there that I can pickup and mule over?
Dave, currently i have no idea what it could be - i've already thought about this question
I'm going to text to all of our families in July and ask if they need anything. So if there's anything specific, i'll let you know - we still have plenty of time.
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
not sure about availability on Vikki's market
All of these stuff are available in the markets, but the thing is that the moms very often don't have enough money to buy them - i forgot to write about it yesterday. This is another reason why our support is important
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
I generally am able to pick up a bottle of commemorative vodka when I'm in country. Or I should say "the last two trips, I've been able to find...". I'll be hoping to do so on this one as well. If I do, I'll add that to our list of prizes!
Ha, man no problem!!! I can give you a tour of the liquor supermarket and you can buy a couple of bottles as prizes
VikkiDp said:In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
not sure about availability on Vikki's market
All of these stuff are available in the markets, but the thing is that the moms very often don't have enough money to buy them - i forgot to write about it yesterday. This is another reason why our support is important
Guys. I've actually been giving this one a lot of thought lately, and I don't think there's a good way or time to ask the question so I'll just put it out there like this:
Is it time to move our funds away from the Kisgorbo shelter?
We made a commitment to Mayor Kozma, and for the last year and a half we've stood by it when no one else has (and he's said as much). That's something. But as of this writing, I really don't have any visibility on what that money's doing or how many residents are still at the shelter. No doubt, it must be tough going for any who remain.
That being said, back in January we diverted one month's donations from the shelter to Vikki and she's been absolutely running with it ever since. I've long suspected that money, and not availability, was the reason the mothers have been unable to procure the food and diapers needed for their babies and now we know for sure. These are refugees too.
Furthermore, she's been able to singlehandedly act as our very own "rapid response team". She's sent toys to children for their birthday, and again when they've lost someone to the fighting. Sergey was able to get his medicine, and a means of water purification was sent to the victims below the dam.
Looking at Vikki's spreadsheet, that money we sent 6 months ago is about to run out. She has 1/4 of the original balance, and we've never carried enough surplus to top her back up. More importantly, we're not meeting our (unofficial) stated goal of 500,000forint ($1500usd) for the second or possibly third month running. That tells me that interest is wavering, and I completely understand (it's EXHAUSTING!). I can use our same paypal to send a swift transfer from my bank, just like we've been doing. The only thing that would change is the destination.
That is, if that's what we decide to do. Your thoughts on this one would be very much appreciated. This isn't a decision I feel comfortable making alone.
Bill,
I am having the hardest time finding a good way to contribute again. Can I just paypal you some cash, would that be helpful?
In reply to tuna55 :
it 100% would, and thank you! I'll put it towards getting our kids in Dnipro some school supplies as donations there have almost completely dried up.
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:Guys. I've actually been giving this one a lot of thought lately, and I don't think there's a good way or time to ask the question so I'll just put it out there like this:
Is it time to move our funds away from the Kisgorbo shelter?We made a commitment to Mayor Kozma, and for the last year and a half we've stood by it when no one else has (and he's said as much). That's something. But as of this writing, I really don't have any visibility on what that money's doing or how many residents are still at the shelter.
Thank you for bringing this up. I have had similar thoughts and questions.
Contributions are going to taper off. Mine certainly have. It's not because my interest in the Kisgorbo shelter, or the war, or anything else is diminishing; I simply cannot afford to maintain that level of contribution. It's pretty easy to write a fat check once or twice. Doing it every month for over a year is something else entirely.
We invested a lot in the Kisgorbo shelter. If it's not seeing the same use, and/or if it's at a point where it can be maintained without our help, or with a smaller GRM contribution, then yeah, let's reallocate those funds. But we should probably have a chat with Major Kozma first rather than just pulling the plug. He won't be thrilled to see funds disappear, but (and correct me if I am wrong) we also don't owe him anything. We gathered resources because you identified a need. Any additional resources we can gather should go where the need is greatest.
There seems to be a perception among people outside the US that all Americans are rich. Although our country is wealthy, most of our citizens are not, and we don't have bottomless personal resources to dip into. Most of us have to budget just like anybody else.
In other words, I want my money to go where it helps the most, and it seems likely that that is somewhere in Ukraine.
VikkiDp said:In reply to 84FSP :
Wooo-hoo!!! Thank you Dave!!!
So glad that your prize got to you
BTW what is written on the stamps - ПТН ПНХ - means - "Putin go f*** yourself"
I somehow missed this and it did not come out of my attempt to Google Translate. Love it.
DarkMonohue said:Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:Guys. I've actually been giving this one a lot of thought lately, and I don't think there's a good way or time to ask the question so I'll just put it out there like this:
Is it time to move our funds away from the Kisgorbo shelter?We made a commitment to Mayor Kozma, and for the last year and a half we've stood by it when no one else has (and he's said as much). That's something. But as of this writing, I really don't have any visibility on what that money's doing or how many residents are still at the shelter.
Thank you for bringing this up. I have had similar thoughts and questions.
Contributions are going to taper off. Mine certainly have. It's not because my interest in the Kisgorbo shelter, or the war, or anything else is diminishing; I simply cannot afford to maintain that level of contribution. It's pretty easy to write a fat check once or twice. Doing it every month for over a year is something else entirely.
We invested a lot in the Kisgorbo shelter. If it's not seeing the same use, and/or if it's at a point where it can be maintained without our help, or with a smaller GRM contribution, then yeah, let's reallocate those funds. But we should probably have a chat with Major Kozma first rather than just pulling the plug. He won't be thrilled to see funds disappear, but (and correct me if I am wrong) we also don't owe him anything. We gathered resources because you identified a need. Any additional resources we can gather should go where the need is greatest.
There seems to be a perception among people outside the US that all Americans are rich. Although our country is wealthy, most of our citizens are not, and we don't have bottomless personal resources to dip into. Most of us have to budget just like anybody else.
In other words, I want my money to go where it helps the most, and it seems likely that that is somewhere in Ukraine.
I don't know enough to help make that decision, and I haven't contributed enough to warrant having a vote. I trust you to do what is best in both short and long term for this effort. I haven't kept up with this thread as well as I should, but honestly it's because I know you're doing the right thing and yielding amazing results. Keep it up.
You'll need to log in to post.
